Commons Sense

Hansard-based summaries and metrics

Road Conditions England 2021-09-09

2021-09-09

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Response quality

Questions & Answers

Q1 Direct Answer
Scott Benton
▸ Context
The question arises from concerns about the condition of England's roads and seeks to understand what steps are being taken by the Department to address this issue.
What steps his Department is taking to improve the condition of England's roads?
Rachel Maclean
In addition to investing £1.7 billion in local roads this financial year, I am pleased to say that the Department has now published its position paper on road condition monitoring on gov.uk and is working with the highways sector towards a common data standard to help local authorities to target defects in their networks more effectively.
▸ Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2 Partial Answer
Scott Benton
▸ Context
The question follows additional funding provided to Blackpool Council for routine maintenance work, but there are concerns about the effectiveness and speed of this work. The MP seeks clarity on how the Department ensures timely and efficient use of funds by local authorities.
I thank the Minister for the additional £3.2 million that her Department has provided to Blackpool Council for routine maintenance work in the current financial year. Despite this additional funding, many of my constituents are concerned that Blackpool Council has the wrong local transport priorities and is far too slow in completing routine maintenance work. What priorities does her Department have in place to ensure that money given to local authorities is spent in a timely and efficient manner?
Rachel Maclean
I agree with my hon. Friend and his residents that it is incredibly disappointing that Labour-run Blackpool Council is failing in its responsibilities to ensure that there are decent and reliable roads for residents, which is clearly a priority. We know from freedom of information requests that Conservative councils fix potholes faster than their Labour equivalents. I hope that Blackpool will work harder on this issue.
▸ Assessment & feedback
Efficient use of funds by local authorities
Criticising The Opposition
Response accuracy